A developer has proposed building an 80,000-square-foot retail center on the Haigis Parkway – a project town officials are hoping could spur larger projects along the road the town has big plans for.

“If it turns out to be the first project there, then it’s very significant,” said Harvey Rosenfeld, the president of the Scarborough Economic Development Corp.

Davis Construction of South Portland has proposed building a retail center with 25 to 40 stores at the corner of the Haigis Parkway and Payne Road. The project could be presented publicly for the first time as early as April 24, the date of the next Scarborough Planning Board meeting.

Although town officials have hoped to attract high-end professional offices and the high paying jobs that come with them to the Haigis Parkway, Rosenfeld said the proposed development fits into that plan.

He said the town has always planned to have small retailers along the road that would service the large employers that locate there. He said, for example, if an office supply store, a clothing store and a restaurant were to move into the retail center, all those businesses could serve larger businesses nearby and the people working in them.

“If the project moves forward, it will encourage other projects,” said Rosenfeld.

In order to do that, Rosenfeld said the project would have to adhere to some strict design standards. Similarly to the way the town has worked to improve the appearance of businesses on Route 1 by making developers design aesthetically appealing buildings, he said the town would look to set the tone for the Haigis Parkway with the first development built on it.

“We really want to start out with a high-quality project because the town is really intent on having this be a cut above,” said Rosenfeld.

Davis Construction has so far submitted only preliminary drawings. In a letter to the Planning Board, Arlen Davis, president of the construction company proposing the development, wrote that the company was interested in building a retail center in a Colonial New England style, with wood frame architecture.

“Our firm fully understands from town officials that we have met with so far that this site is a very important access point to the community and that it should have a high degree of appeal,” Davis wrote in the letter. The new development would be located directly across from exit 42 on the Turnpike.

Davis could not be reached for comment before press time Wednesday.

Scarborough Assistant Town Planner Dan Bacon said the Haigis Parkway zoning district permits a variety of uses, including small retailers, professional offices, high technology and research companies, hotels, restaurants and convention centers.

Rosenfeld said he remains confident the large employers the town is hoping for are on the way. He said he spoke to people who were interested in developing on Haigis Parkway Wednesday morning.

“They’re looking,” said Rosenfeld. “There’s interest. There’re people talking. I think nobody wants to go first, but I think that’s going to happen soon.”